It is clear that football in some shape or form, was being played in the Munterconnaught area for some time prior to the establishment of the GAA in 1884.
John Hetherton, Ballydurrow, related that about 1860 and for some years afterwards, there was a great football team in Munterconnaught, known as the Connaught Rangers.

The players were described as "very strong, heavy men from all the district around". Among the players were Pat Carroll, Michael Carroll, Tom, Ned and Pat Fitzsimons, Tom Keogan, Willie, Tom and Michael Hetherton of Eighter, Glennons, McCabes of Beherna, Lynches and Mulvanys of Crohan. Another man who may have played on this team was Dick Hetherton of Eighter, who was noted for his athleticism and for his feats of strength. The Connaught Rangers were captained for some years by a man named Pat Donnelly who lived at the rock of Crohan.
There were many rough matches between this team and another notable team, the Maghera MacFinns, also between them and Milesians of Virginia Road and Stonefield. Generally they played seventeen men at a time on each side but on occasions, the numbers were increased to twenty-three on each side.

On one occasion they travelled to Drogheda to play the Drogheda Tredaghs for a set of jerseys and a football. The match was a very rough one and many were hurt. It is said that one young man was so badly injured that he died soon afterwards. Many of the players suffered in later life from lameness which they blamed on injuries sustained by them while playing football. The last of the Connaught Rangers, Pat Carroll, died about the year 1936.

Tradition also mentions Thomas Donnelly of Lurganboy who captained a team of footballers which included the McGuinness and Tuite families of Lurganboy and Knockaraheen. Games were played against neighbouring parishes like Oldcastle and the venue was Kavanagh's meadow just across the Meath border in Newcastle. Similar teams were formed in the Eastern end of the Parish in the Ryefield, Beherna and Ballydurrow area.

The First Co. Championship under GAA rules was organised for 1888 and teams from Lurgan, Cross, Virginia, Maghera and Munterconnaught were affiliated. The Munterconnaught team again went under the name "The Connaught Rangers". In subsequent years football appears to have declined in the area until the 1920's, when the story of the modern-day Munterconnaught GFC could be said to have begun the 1920's

In the commemorative booklet issued on the occasion of the opening of St. Bartholomew's Park in 1988, the late Joseph Gilsenan recalled:
"Young people in these years (1924-25) amused themselves by playing skittles, swimming and playing football, The townlands of Knocknagarton. Knocktemple, Coronagh combined to play against teams drawn from Lurganboy. Beherna and Crohan, The games were played in Peter Skelly’s field. Sometimes they played in the "Pond Field' in Coronagh. The eastern end of the 'parish played similar inter-townland games in Michael Plunkett s meadow, in Ballydurrow.

The late Monsignor Thomas Keogan, then a clerical student, was instrumental in organising and affiliating a team. He called a meeting to a little house in Ryefield called "The Shanty", a football team was formed and a committee elected, Chairman, Patrick Brady, Ryefield; Vice-Chairman, Patrick Byrne, Island; Secretary, Matt McCabe, Knocknaveigh; Treasurer, Pat Gibney, Beherna; Committee: Patrick Gillic, Knockaraheen; John Hetherton, N.T. Ballydurrow; Edward Boylan, Ryefield; Hugh Ennis, Knocktemple; John Conaty, Coronagh;
Simon Hetherton, Coronagh; Joseph Gilsenan, Coronagh,

The panel of players comprised: Thomas Hetherton; Patrick Hetherton (twins); Brady brothers Michael and Charlie, Beherna; Laurence McEnroe and his brother, Patrick Beherna; McEnroe brothers, Lawrence, Jack, Matt and Phil, Island; Joseph Boylan, Ryefield; Phil Tormay, Beherna; James Tully. Coronagh; James Hetherton, Coronagh; Joseph Gilsenan, Knocknagarton; Jack Rahill, Ballydurrow; James and
Patrick Farrelly, Knocktemple; Donohoe brothers, Gerry and Frank, Knocktemple; Patrick McEnroe, Lurganboy; Patsy Hetherton, Knocknaveigh.
The committee rented a field from Sam Gorman, Ryefield at £4 p.a. The jersey was to be blue with a white V and concerts were held in Crohan AOH Hall to provide funds, The team was affiliated with Cavan Co, Board in early 1927 and played in the County Junior Championship.

The Revival of Munterconnaught GFC 1969

THE year of 1969 saw the revival of football in Munterconnaught after a lapse of fifteen years. Emigration and finance were the root cause of the break-up of the club in 1954. In the 'sixties a group of young men grew up together in the area. Some of these players played with Castlerahan, Virginia and Oldcastle, while others played no organised football at this time. In 1968 these players started to get organised and arranged games among themselves, the lads from Ballydurrow area would meet the lads from Knocktemple area in local fields in Ballydurrow, Liam Hetherton's and Tom Plunkett's fields were used for the home games, while in Knocktemple the fields belonging to Hugh D. Gilsch Were used. At this time most players cycled to these inter-club matches which usually finished at dark on the long summer evenings of 1968. Many a hard-fought game was played during this period with no quarter given or asked.

A group of football enthusiasts noted the numbers of players participating in these games and decided to do something about getting the club reformed. A meeting was called for the Old School in November, 1968, and a steering committee was formed to get the club going. This steering committee comprised of Chairman, Luke Kiernan; Secretary, Paddy McGovern and Treasurer, Liam Hetherton.

There were two major obstacles to be overcome. First, Money was needed to start the club and, secondly, Munterconnaught's best players at the time were involved with other clubs and they would be needed lend experience to the team. It was agreed that a house to house collection would be taken up and this was an outstanding success with over £300 collected which showed the enthusiasm of the people to have their own club once again. At this stage word had got around that Munterconnaught were about to reform and a number of clubs were not too happy as they stood to lose players. This was particularly true in the case of Castlerahan club who hd about six Munterconnaught players playing with them. Castlerahan said they would not sign transfers so Munterconnaught had to put their case for the reformation of the club to a County Board meeting which took place on 3rd February, 1969. It was an open meeting and after hearing everybody's opinion the Chairman of the County Board, the late T. J O'Reilly, put it to the floor. Munterconnaught got the backing of 38 club while Castlerahan got the support of five. Munterconnaught were back. Seamus Lynch of Munterconnaught and Maghera delegate Dan Daly played a big role in that meeting.

A meeting was then arranged to form a committee and the following were elected:-

President: Father Thomas McNiffe Chairman: Luke Kiernan Secretary: Paddy McGovern Treasurer: Liam Hetherton Vice-Chairman: Patsy Yore County Board Rep.: Seamus Lynch Working Committee: Matt Luke Dowd, Hugh Farrelly, Peter Carroll, John Cadden, Charlie Reilly, Paddy Hetherton, Paddy Tuite. Captain: Mattie Hetherton. Vice-Captain: Donie McEnroe.

The first game was against Kill on 16th March, 1969, and the team was selected from the following panel of players:- Pat Connell, Seamus Connell, Jack Hetherton, Mickey Hetherton, Brian Conaty, Mick Plunkett, Tony Mooney, Donie McEnroe, Tom Stanley, James Stanley, Gerry Hetherton, Mattie Hetherton, Aidan O'Dwyer, John Cadden, Jodie Gilsenan, Paddy McCabe, Martin Keoghan , Bertie Brady, Briarn Farrelly